Never Meant To Be
by Moonshine Ryu
Summary: Sequel to Earthshine. Emotions are high, claws are out, and the Teen Titans are on the edge of falling apart. Full summary inside. BBRae. Chapter 13 is up.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody! I'm back with a new fic! This is the sequel to _Earthshine, _so if you haven't read that, read it now. You don't even have to read it all, just read the last few chapters so you'll know what's going on. This is unhappy, as usual. At least no one dies this time.**

**Full Summary: A couple months after the events in _Earthshine, _the team begins to fall apart. Fights are more frequent and friends soon become enemies. Slade soon realizes how weak they are and he has plans to stop them for good. Is love and friendship enough to save them, or will the team be destroyed?**

**I'll only say this once throughout the whole fic: I don't own Teen Titans. Get it? Got it? Good.**

**Never Meant To Be**

**Chapter 1: Broken**

Everyone was silent as they walked into the main room of Titans Tower. They couldn't believe what had happened just a few hours ago. They had thought it was gonna be a normal mission. They hadn't known that they were going to fight Slade. But, when they had fought Slade in the past he had wanted one of them for some reason. Robin and Terra had been his apprentices, and he had needed Raven to fulfill a prophecy and destroy the world… but this was different.

A green horse was limping to the center of the room, an unconscious Raven on his back. He would have turned into a larger animal so he could carry her, but he didn't have the energy. Robin was walking beside him, steadying Raven so she wouldn't fall off. Starfire was carrying Cyborg. He was missing a leg and part of an arm. Robin lifted Raven off of Beast Boy and laid her down gently on the couch.

"Friend Cyborg, you are alright, yes?" Starfire asked the metal man as she set him on one of the chairs.

"Yeah Star, I just need my toolbox and I'll be able to fix my leg", Cyborg replied.

"I shall go get it for you." Starfire's voice was sad and detached, not her usual happy self. She departed from the room, leaving Cyborg with his face buried in his hands, and with Robin and Beast Boy tending to Raven.

Out of all the Titans, Raven was in the worst shape. Dried blood was caked on her head, ugly bruises and cuts covered her body, her left arm was sprained and one of her ankles was twisted in a weird angle. The only proof that she was still alive was the slow rising and falling movement of her chest. She had been so focused healing the others that she forgot about healing herself.

Robin felt so dizzy he could barely stand up. Both of his arms ached where they had been broken before Raven had healed them. He too was covered with bruises and small scars.

Beast Boy was sitting on the floor, looking at Raven with pleading eyes, asking her with his mind to wake up. She wasn't floating, wasn't healing herself like she had done long before. He was afraid that she would never wake. Beast Boy couldn't stop the river of tears flowing from his eyes. Without Raven, he, they all, would have died.

Normally they would have gone to the hospital, but a strange illness was going around, and every hospital from Jump City to Gotham City was full. Slade had chosen the time to strike well. He had been his strongest when they had been their weakest. He had started the sickness himself.

Starfire then came back with Cyborg's large toolbox. Physically, she was in the best shape, with only a few cuts and bruises to show that she had fought. But, although you could not tell just by looking, she had been torn apart inside from that battle. They all had been. She gave the toolbox to Cyborg, who began to halfheartedly repair himself, and floated to another chair. Her usual fiery green eyes were now dull and glazed.

No one spoke. No one needed to. They just reflected what had happened. The hours passed slowly, but they didn't notice. They didn't care. If sadness was a raindrop, the tower would have become a sea.

_What happened?_

They remembered all the good times the team had had together. Or tried to at least. The team had been in bad shape for a long time now. Raven and Beast Boy fought much more often about pointless things. Once they almost tried to kill each other. Robin was having difficulties controlling the group, and Cyborg and Starfire were slowly drifting away.

Sure, they had failed missions before. They had been in bad shape before, but they had never almost been killed in battle. They had never had their spirits broken.

Broken. That was the only word to describe them now. You couldn't look at them anymore and believe that they were the same people that had done next to impossible things. They that had saved countless lives were now broken. They that had made their city a better place were now broken.

But now that they are broken, could they ever be repaired?

* * *

Well, there's the somewhat depressing chapter one. The other chapters will be much longer than this, don't worry. Sayonara! I love constructive criticism! (hint hint) 


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Oh, just to let you know, this chapter and the many chapters to come are all flashbacks, ok? And, this chapter is happy, so enjoy it now cause it doesn't get any better.**

**Chapter 2: Family Game Night**

"Hey Raven! Open up!" Beast Boy knocked on Raven's door, which opened a few seconds later.

"Perfect timing, I just got done meditating," said Raven in her usual emotionless tone. "So, what do you need me for?"

"Uh, I just wanted to let you know that Star saw a commercial for 'Family Game Night', and she wanted to try it out, so she wants everyone to get a board game or something." When he saw Raven's skeptical look, he added, "And if you don't come now, Star will have to drag you there, so…"

Raven rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, hold on a second." _I know I'm gonna regret doing this._ She disappeared back into her room, leaving a bewildered Beast Boy outside.

She looked around her room, looking for some kind of board game. She only had, what, two games? After some searching, she found them under her bed. Actually, one wasn't even a game, it was a Ouija board.

Raven mentally cast that one aside. The rest of the team wouldn't take it seriously. She put it back under her bed, got the other one, and walked out of the room.

"Dude, I never thought that you'd agree to something like this!" Beast Boy exclaimed as they walked down the hall toward the main room.

"Yeah, well don't expect me doing anything like this for a **long **time," she retorted.

"Heh, I didn't know you had a board game in your room either."

"You never asked."

When they walked in, Starfire flew up to them. "Friend Raven, you have decided to join us! Glorious! We shall now begin!"

Raven was relieved to see that there was only one actual board game. Cyborg had brought playing cards, Beast Boy got dominoes, Robin had UNO, and Starfire had gotten Clue, which, Raven admitted, wasn't that bad of a game.

They went through UNO and Clue without any difficulties (although Beast Boy and Cyborg laughed their heads off when it turned out that Robin's character was the murderer). Dominoes was uneventful, but Raven thought it was stupid ("What's the point of setting them all up if you're going to knock them down again?").

When they got to the playing cards, they argued over what to play. Starfire and Raven were the only ones who were silent and the team finally decided to play B.S.

About halfway through the game, Starfire asked, "Please, what do the B and S in this game's title stand for?"

Raven sweat-dropped as Robin tried to prevent Beast Boy and Cyborg from saying anything. "…Can we move on, please?" she asked.

"Yes, it is now time for your game, Raven!" announced Starfire.

Cyborg and Robin looked skeptical. "Raven? Brought a game? This is somewhat disturbing," said Cyborg.

The half-demon glared at him as she got her game. It was a rectangle made of wood, with twelve small holes in it, two across, six down, and there was a large hole at the end of both sides. In Raven's other hand was a bag full of small, assorted colored stones.

Beast Boy looked at it, confused. "So uh, what do you do?"

Raven set the board down and got out the stones. "It's called Mancala," she explained. "You put four stones in each small hole, and the two large holes are where you put _your _stones. The first player starts with any place on their side. You take the four stones and you drop them into each hole you pass. When you drop you last stone into a hole, you take the stones that are in that hole, and you keep going. You also put a stone into your large hole when you pass it. If your last stone goes into your home hole, you choose any hole on your side to start again. If you last stone goes into an empty hole, the other player starts at that spot. The person who has the most stones by the end of the game wins."

Raven looked up to see her companions with confused looks on their faces. She sighed. "It seems confusing and boring now, but it's better when you're playing, so bear with me, okay?"

The other Titans agreed and played, and they thought that the game was a lot more fun than they thought it would be. (A/N: I love Mancala!)

After that, Starfire had put in a DVD, and they all sat down on the couch to watch. Raven just read her book, occasionally glancing up at the screen. After a while though she forgot her book altogether and watched. At first she thought that she wouldn't be interested in anything that wasn't horror, but this film was actually pretty good. It was fantasy, with wizards, elves, and dwarves, and the mythical creatures and battle scenes were very realistic. (A/N: Yep, Lord of the Rings!)

Although she wouldn't admit it openly, she had actually enjoyed Star's 'Family Game Night', and she was glad that she didn't shut herself like she always did.

Raven awoke to sunlight streaming in her room. Sunlight? She sat up and found that she wasn't in her room, but she was still in the main room. Apparently the movie had been longer than she thought and she had fallen asleep on the couch.

She looked around and saw that the other Titans were asleep too. Beast Boy was in cat form, curled in a tight ball next to her. Starfire was using Robin's shoulder as a pillow, but Cyborg wasn't next to them. Raven got up and floated into the kitchen, where Cyborg was making himself breakfast.

"Mornin' Rae."

"Morning," Raven replied, letting the nickname slide.

She went past him and started making some tea. After a few moments' silence, Cyborg glanced over his shoulder and then spoke in a low voice. "So, what's up with you and Beast Boy?"

Raven didn't look up from her tea. "What about me and Beast Boy?"

"Man, quit denying it Rae! You obviously have a thing for each other! You guys sit together all the time. At the table, in the car…" He paused. "On the couch…"

"Starfire and Robin sit next to each other all the time. What's your point?"

"Yeah, cause Star and Rob love each other! And besides, I see the looks you give him every now and then."

Raven raised her eyebrow. "The only looks I give Beast Boy are the 'leave me alone before I kill you' look, and the 'quit moping over that dumb blonde' look."

"Yeah, you want him to get over Terra so he'll come after you," Cyborg mumbled.

Raven clenched her fists and was about to send the part-robot to another dimension she heard the other Titans waking up. She just glared at Cyborg, who had a triumphant grin on his face for the rest of the day.

The days that followed were normal, but although they couldn't sense it, the air crackled with tension, threatening to break any second.

That was when the fights started.

* * *

Yay, no more happiness for a while. _(gets strange stares)_ Sorry. Anyways, brace yourself for da next chapter, cause it won't be pretty. 


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! Thanks for reviewing guys!**

**Chapter 3: War and No Peace**

It was only a couple weeks after the Family Game Night. Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg were sitting on the couch, listening to what was going on upstairs. They heard loud voices, unable to interpret what was being said. They relaxed and looked at each other with relief, and then flinched as the voices became audible again.

"Why can't you just leave me alone!" Raven's voice.

"I want to know what you meant!" Beast Boy.

"It didn't mean anything! Just forget it!"

"You're right; it probably doesn't, because you never liked her! You hated her, and you're probably glad she's dead!"

"Shut up! I hated her because she betrayed us all! She was a traitor and you fell in love with her!" Raven shouted in disbelief.

"You fell in love with a traitor too! Does the name 'Malchior' ring a bell?"

"Malchior was the only one who treated me like a real person! He understood me! The only thing Terra did was laugh at your jokes! Besides, I'm over Malchior! I'm not still moping around feeling sorry for myself!"

"Terra did much more for me than that! Yeah right you're over Malchior! I've seen you staring at his book sometimes! Why were you doing that Raven? Huh?"

"Why the heck were you in my room!"

"Just answer my damn question!"

Raven said something which would have gotten bleeped out had it been on television. This was followed by the sound of crashing, and some more yelling which was inaudible. When their voices could be heard again, the subject of their fight had switched again.

"- a heartless, betraying liar who couldn't even control her own powers!"

"Shut up, Raven! She's my friend and you can't talk about her that way!"

"It's a free country! I can say whatever the hell I want!"

"Can't you just find one nice thing to say about her?"

A pause. "She's a good actress, I'll give her that."

"THAT'S IT!"

The other Titans heard more crashing, then an inhuman snarl. Raven shouted something and a high-pitched scream responded to her taunt.

This had gone far enough.

They rushed upstairs to find Beast Boy in raptor form, claws raised, with Raven standing in front of him, her black magic at the ready.

"Raven! Beast Boy!" Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy, who changed back to human, and Starfire grabbed Raven, holding her back. Robin stood in between them.

"I can't believe you two! Can't you have a normal conversation without it becoming a death match?" He motioned for Starfire and Cyborg to let them go. Raven and Beast Boy just stood there, glaring at each other.

"Apologize."

There was silence for a long time. They didn't do anything. Starfire spoke up.

"Please, it is not right for friends to fight!"

"…She's not my friend, not anymore. I hate her." Beast Boy's words were icy and forced. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked past Cyborg to his room.

Everyone stared after him. Raven finally surrounded herself with black energy and teleported herself to her room, leaving the other three Titans with shocked looks on their faces.

* * *

When Raven got to her room, she paced, thinking about what Beast Boy had said. His words somehow troubled her in a way she hadn't felt before.

_She's not my friend, not anymore. I hate her._

Raven told herself she shouldn't be distressed. Everyone has been told those words. But when Beast Boy said them they stung her, piercing her heart. Why? Because he meant them.

She shook her head in frustration. _Why should I care? _Hoping to clear her mind, she picked up her mirror and went into Nevermore.

When she got there, all of her emotions were huddled together, talking. That's strange. Her emotions usually aren't grouped together; they were usually spread out over Nevermore, only occasionally talking to each other.

_Something's up. _Raven had thought the words, but since she was in her mind, they came out loud.

Her emotions looked up. "Duh, something's up, you idiot!" yelled Happy.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "And would you please point it out to me?" She tried to be skeptical, but she knew what they were talking about.

Courage rolled her eyes. "Beast Boy just said that he hates you!"

Before Raven could reply, Rage stepped in. "Good! Hate shall rule the world!"

"Shut up Rage," Knowledge said.

"Why should I care if Beast Boy hates me?"

"He **meant **it! That is the worst thing that could happen!" screamed Courage.

"…Why?"

A Raven in an indigo cloak stepped forward. "You really wanna know why? It's because we lo-"

"Shut up!" Raven snapped.

"But-"

"No!"

"…We-"

"No!"

"Lov-"

"Shut it!"

"Beast Bo-"

"Bye!" With that, Raven transformed into her soul-self raven and flew out of Nevermore.

When she got back, someone was knocking at her door. "Friend Raven? It is Starfire; I wish to see if you are alright."

Raven didn't reply. She really did not feel like talking.

"Friend Raven?" After a few moments she gave up and Raven heard her footsteps going down the hall.

Raven didn't know why she didn't talk to Starfire. Normally she would have, even if she was in the same mood as she was now. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to hide her emotions as she spoke. Something just wasn't right in the tower these days…

She knew deep in her heart that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Hehehe, it only gets worse! Chapter 4 will be up soon! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Whee, I'm back! I would have updated earlier, but I was kinda busy. I went to the bookstore and bought 11 books! Hopefully (hopefully being the key word) those will last me until Harry Potter 6 comes out. I don't own him by the way. **

**I was watching "Mother Mae Eye" earlier and wow, that was scary! This is what was going through my head the whole time: What. The. Hell! What was going through the crew's heads when they made that episode? Oh well, at least The End is coming next week! **

**Meh, enough blabbing. On with da chapter!**

**Chapter 4: Beach Bummer**

_Dear Journal,_

_This is the first time I've written something in here in two months! Well, I've been very busy lately. A couple weeks ago every bad guy in the city 'coincidentally' broke out of jail, and it took us a day and a half to get them back in there again. I've also been trying to figure out what Slade will do next. I don't have any leads yet, but I'm working on it._

_Then Beast Boy and Raven got into a fight. And I mean it when I say 'fight'! I don't even want to think about what would have happened if Star, Cyborg, and I hadn't broken it up._

_In fact, everyone's been a little weird lately. I don't really know when it started. Maybe after Terra died? But I don't see how that would affect the entire team. I mean, we were all sad, but life soon returned to normal. Even Beast Boy seems to have gotten over it, so I don't think that this is the aftermath of her death._

_Oh well, I'll figure it out later. Beast Boy and Raven have gotten into a couple of fights after that big one, but they weren't as bad and they ended pretty quickly. I'm worried about them though. One of these days I think they might actually get hurt. _

_I'm giving the team a gift that I'll reveal later in the day. I figured that every one of them deserves a vacation…_

_- Robin_

* * *

"Good morning, dearest friends!" Starfire yelled as she flew into the kitchen where Beast Boy and Cyborg were eating breakfast. Raven was drinking some tea on the couch.

They all mumbled a good morning, their faces stuffed with food (except for Raven, of course).

Starfire looked around, and her bright expression faded. "Has anyone seen Robin?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg paused and shook their heads, then they went back to eating rather messily.

Raven rolled her eyes in disgust. "The last I saw of him, he was in his room on the computer. I asked him what he was doing and he said it was a surprise." She rolled her eyes again. "Probably a way to find out what Slade's planning or something that relates to Slade."

"Hey! I heard that!"

Everyone turned and saw Robin walking through the door, some papers in his hand. Happily, Starfire flew up to him. "You have returned from the puter of com! Glorious! Please, what is this surprise of which friend Raven speaks?"

Robin smirked and set the papers on the kitchen counter. "Alright guys, I know that things have been a little strange lately." He quickly glanced from Beast Boy to Raven. "And I think that we all deserve a little break. So, I went on the computer and found the perfect vacation spot." He said the next part slowly so it would be more dramatic. "We are all…going…to…BLUE SHELL BEACHES!" **(A/N: I don't know if Blue Shell Beaches is a real place, sorry if it is.)**

The dramatic effect was totally lost on the other Titans. Beast Boy and Cyborg had confused looks on their faces, and Raven raised an eyebrow. Only Starfire seemed excited.

"Excellent! I cannot wait to go to the beach of blue shells! I…" She paused, confused. "Robin, what is this beach of blue shells that you speak of?"

Robin, slightly annoyed, pointed to the papers in front of him. "Blue Shell Beaches is a vacation spot a few hours' drive from Jump City. The water and sand is perfect, but not many people go there because it's very expensive. I've even found a great beach house to stay in." He turned to another page, which had a large picture of a house on it. "It's three stories high, and it has five bedrooms. The first story is a game room with a door that leads to the pool and hot tub. The second story is where the bedrooms are, and the third story is the kitchen and living room."

"Awesome!"

"Sweet!"

"Glorious!"

"Sounds nice," commented Raven, although she really didn't get what the whole point of this was. She read a few more details on the page and smirked. "It even allows pets, so we'll be able to take Beast Boy."

"Hey!"

"So, when are we going?" asked Cyborg.

"In a couple days, so we'll have time to pack. Titans East will look after the city for us while we're gone. We'll be staying there for two weeks."

The other Titans seemed thrilled to be going to the beach, except one. Raven didn't like what was going on. After the others left the room to pack, she gave Robin a long, hard look before retreating to the dark depths of her room.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_Why the hell do I even have a diary? All you do is repeat what happened, what someone said, and other useless stuff that anyone can just pick up and read. I mean, if you're smart enough to read and write, then you should be smart enough to remember what happened the past day without having to write it down._

_Moving on, Robin's 'surprise' was booking a trip to the beach. Why the heck do we need a vacation? We're already on one. I think that he's using a vacation as an excuse to get the team closer together. We _have_ been steadily drifting apart. But really, if we have to go to an extreme such as going to the beach to get closer, then we're already doomed._

_But then I'm always thinking about being doomed, aren't I? I'm not like the other Titans; I can't think happy thoughts. I can't feel! I'm just a toy that can be tossed around and thrown out without as much as a second glance! Just darkness, destruction, and DEATH! _**(Me: Whoa, someone needs to take a chill pill.)**

_I think I'm going to go pack now before I rip this diary in half…_

_- Raven_

* * *

Raven is just little miss sunshine in this chapter, isn't she? Well, the next chapter is a flashback which takes place RIGHT AFTER the last chapter in _Earthshine._ Just to let ya know. 


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm not dead! Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been kinda busy. This isn't the longest chapter, but the next one hopefully will be. Oh, I don't own that quote at the begining, I don't know who owns it. Sorry if it's yours.**

**Chapter 5: Memories**

"_A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."_

* * *

_I'm not sure what time it was. Maybe 10 or 10:30? I remember that it was late. That was when he finally came home. When he came home from Terra's grave._

_I didn't get a good look at his face, for he went upstairs quickly. But I did get a glimpse, and it was not the Beast Boy I once knew. The guilt gripped me stronger than ever, but I hid it well._

_Sometime later, I went upstairs and passed his room. I was about to keep going when I stopped. I went back and drew closer to his door._

_He wasn't in there. I could tell. Pulling away from the door, my feet took me down the hall to another room. Terra's room._

_I didn't open the door, but I could sense that he was in there. He was in there crying his heart out. With a sickening feeling in my stomach, I went to my own room._

_After that I knew that things would never be the same._

* * *

It was about two weeks after Terra died. Beast Boy has gotten slightly better, but not by much. Cyborg somehow managed to get Beast Boy to play a video game, but afterwards the he went sadly upstairs.

"He'll have to get over it soon," said Robin as he watched the changeling go.

Raven, who had been wondering whether Beast Boy was going to his own room or Terra's, looked at the Boy Wonder in surprise. "What?"

"I said he'll have to get over it."

Raven just stared at him. How could he be so heartless? In fact, Raven's opinion of her leader had been slowly declining lately.

He went on. "The villains will start attacking again soon, so he'll need to shape up. And we need to find out what Slade is planning-"

At this, Raven lost it. "Is that all you ever think about! You're too busy worrying about Slade to think about your own teammate! We were always there for you, why can't you be there for him!"

Robin was shocked at Raven's outburst. "Raven, I just thought-"

"No, you weren't thinking! You never do! He's had his heart broken countless times and you were never there for him! You don't know what it feels like, Robin! YOU JUST DON'T KNOW!"

At this, Raven turned and stormed angrily up the stairs, leaving a very scared, not to mention guilty Boy Wonder behind. Going in her room, she reminded herself to add Robin to her hate list.

Raven paced angrily around her room. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down enough to think clearly. She couldn't believe Robin said that, but she also couldn't believe what she had said to him. It just wasn't like her.

_Well, I can't take it back now. _Some moments later she left her room to go meditate.

* * *

_The next day, all of us got a strange surprise. It was morning; Robin and Cyborg were playing a video game with Starfire watching them, and I was reading a book when Beast Boy walked in. But the strange part was that he was acting like himself. He said good morning to each of us then got out some cereal._

_Cyborg and Robin looked at him like he was crazy. How did he go from sad to normal in just a day? After he ate breakfast, he joined Cyborg and Robin in a three-player game. After that, everything seemed to go back to normal._

…_Or so we thought._

* * *

Meh, this isn't the best chapter I've ever written. The next few chapters will be about their time at the beach, and trust me, it isn't going to be as happy as you may think...Sayonara! 


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Chapter 6 up!**

**I don't own McDonalds, but then again, why would I want to?**

**Chapter 6: Road Trip**

"Are we ready to go?"

Robin, Raven, and Cyborg stood beside the T-car, putting the last of their luggage in the trunk. It was Cyborg who spoke.

"Yeah, Starfire and Beast Boy should be out here any minute," replied Robin.

"Man, this is gonna be so awesome! Two full weeks at the beach!" Cyborg was clearly excited.

_Maybe a little too excited, _Raven thought. "Oh yes, it's going to be a blast," she said sarcastically. "Listening to Beast Boy ask 'are we there yet?' for hours, getting cooked in the sun like a lobster, and getting attacked by sharks sounds like so much fun. I'm going to have the time of my life." She paused. "And not to rain on your parade or anything, but it's not two full weeks. It's really only twelve days, because they count the day you arrive and the day you leave." At this, she floated to the car and got in the back seat.

Cyborg stared after her for a moment. "What motivated Val-Yor to call her 'Sunshine'?"

"Uh-"

"Friends! Beast Boy and I are now ready." Starfire walked into the garage with Beast Boy close behind her.

"Dudes, this is gonna be so much fun!" yelled Beast Boy.

"Yeah, try telling that to Raven," replied Cyborg, rolling his eyes.

"Are you sure we have everything?" Robin asked Cyborg.

"Maybe if you'd quit asking me that, I'd be able to check!" yelled the metal-man, annoyed. Robin had been asking that since yesterday and it was starting to tick him off.

"Sorry, I just don't want to find out half-way to the beach that we've forgotten something."

Cyborg sighed. "You worry too much. Believe me, we've got everything but the kitchen sink."

At this, Starfire was confused. "Please, could someone tell me how you would fit everything inside the vehicle? And if you have everything else, why would you not want to take the sink?"

The three boys sweat-dropped.

"Um, it's just an expression, Star," explained Robin.

"Oh…"

"Are you guys going to stand there talking all day or are we going to go?" asked a monotone voice.

"Raven's right. We should get going if we wanna make it there before dark," said Robin, and the rest of the Titans piled into the car.

As they headed out of the garage, Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and yelled…

"ROAD TRIP!"

_Yep, this is going to be the best vacation ever…_

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Beast Boy! If you don't quit asking that, you'll find yourself with a first-class ticket to the moon!"

It was about halfway through their trip, and Beast Boy had been asking that same question once every twenty minutes. At first, Raven had tolerated it, but now it was getting annoying. An anime vain was popping out of her head.

"Sorry, I can't help it! I'm bored!"

"You'll be a lot more than that if you don't shut up!"

"BOTH OF YOU WILL BE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IF YOU DON'T STOP ARGUING!" Now it was Cyborg's turn to be annoyed.

_It would be a lot better than sitting here, _Raven thought as they continued down the highway.

* * *

"Thank you for choosing McDonald's, would you like to try the combo today?"

They had stopped at a McDonald's to get some food and were now driving up to the window to pick up their orders. As Robin handed the food to them, he noticed for the first time that the Titans in the back weren't sitting like they normally did. Instead of Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, it was Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy.

He sighed. They had never fought for this long before. _Why can't they just act their age and apologize? Hopefully by the end of our vacation they'll be friends again…_

But little did he know that he was doing more harm than good…

* * *

Sorry that this is such a stupid chapter. Boring? Yes. Short? Yes. Pointless? Pretty much. I wanted to put this up before I leave for the beach on Friday. Yep, again, but for not as long. I'm coming back on the 19th, but right after that I'm going to Indiana to visit relatives! Whoo, I'm having a busy summer! 

Also, I'm working on some other fics. I'm working on this one, another multi-chapter, some poems, and possibly a one-shot song-fic. So, I won't be updating this one as often.Yeah, I'm busy!

Sayonara!

P.S. I'm drinking coffee with a straw! Wow, I'm weird...

P.P.S. Did you know that the name "Slade" means "Child of the Valley"? (laughs head off)


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back! Wow, I haven't updated in a really long time! Sorry, things have been kinda strange around here….**

**Chapter 7: The Dreams Begin**

_The purple-haired half-demon froze in mid-air, staring at the gun that was pointed at her. As the hand squeezed the trigger, a defiant shriek filled her ears. With a flash of emerald, a green falcon flew up in between the girl and the bullet._

_A shot rang through the air, and the bird dropped like a stone, blood flowing freely from his head…_

"Friend Raven!"

Raven woke with a start, and looked wildly around at her surroundings. Half-expecting to be on a battlefield, she found herself in the T-car, with Starfire peering at her.

"Friend Raven, we have arrived at our destination," said the alien happily before flying out of the side-door. Pushing the dream out of her mind, Raven got out after her, and immediately wanted to get back in.

After the cool, air-conditioned T-car, the air here felt like hell. It was hot, for one. Raven already felt beads of sweat form on her neck event though she was just standing there. It was humid, for another. The heaviness of it pressed down on her and made her feel claustrophobic. The dark girl felt as if she was breathing through a straw.

Or a sponge. A hot, wet sponge.

"Please tell me that the pool isn't heated," she said.

The other Titans didn't seem to hear her, for they were all looking up at the beach-house.

Which, Raven thought, didn't look that bad. It was a grayish-brown in color, and it looked like it was made with driftwood, giving it an aquatic aura. The deck started at the bottom and wound up and around the house like a snake.

"Come on, dudes!" Beast Boy yelled. "Let's go explore!" With that, he, Cyborg, and Starfire ran up the deck.

Raven stayed where she was, with a slightly annoyed Robin standing next to her.

"Uh, guys? Shouldn't we unpack first…?" He stopped when the other three Titans ran into the house, not hearing a word he said.

Muttering to himself, the Boy Wonder followed them inside, with Raven smirking and floating behind him.

_**In Da House…**_

Raven walked slowly through the halls of the beach-house, sometimes passing a fellow Titan along the way. The walls were a light tan color, with a seashell border. Every few feet there would be a painting or photograph of aquatic life.

Floating into each of the rooms, Raven tried to push the dream from her head, but it always came back.

_It doesn't mean anything, _she thought. _It's not a vision. Just a dream, nothing more._

'But what if it is?' asked a voice inside her mind.

_It's not, _she urged, trying to reassure herself. Visions didn't come often, and she couldn't remember a time when one came in her dreams.

'Just because it has never happened before, doesn't mean it won't,' said the voice.

_Go away…_

'I can't go away, I'm your mind, remember? You're just talking to yourself…'

"Shut up!"

Raven didn't realize she had said that out loud until she heard another voice behind her.

"You okay, Rae?"

She turned around to find Cyborg standing in the doorway, worry plastered on his face. Raven put her hood over her head and brushed past him. "I'm fine, and don't call me 'Rae'."

Cyborg stared after her as she walked down the hall, and then shook his head. "Weird…"

* * *

"Hey, did you guys know that a chicken once lived with its head cut off for over a year?" asked Beast Boy.

The Titans were sitting in the living room, eating pizza and watching TV.

"Really? Man, that's so disgusting but that's so cool at the same time!" laughed Cyborg.

Robin didn't really look amused. "Just the thought of that makes me sick."

Raven picked up a small knife from her plate and looked at Beast Boy. "It lived for over a _year_?"

"Yep."

Raven looked at the knife again, and snapped her fingers in mock disappointment. "Darn, I guess my plan won't work after all…"

All the Titans stared at her for a moment. The silence was broken when Robin and Cyborg rolled on the ground, howling with laughter.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy backed a few feet away from Raven, but strangely, he didn't look all that offended.

Robin and Cyborg had finally stopped laughing, but they were still holding their sides. "That was priceless, Rae!" Cyborg forced out before collapsing to the ground again.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that? It's not that hard."

Cyborg grew suddenly serious. "Speaking of which, what was with you earlier? You sounded like you were talking to someone."

Everyone's eyes were on Raven, waiting for her to speak. Robin had an eyebrow raised, Starfire looked curious, and Beast Boy…looked worried? Raven tensed.

"I-it was nothing…" she said hastily, taking her plate to the kitchen and then phasing through the floor before anyone could respond.

* * *

Raven found herself surrounded by rock and sand. Boulders jutted out from the ground, and rock ledges towered above her.

Walking forward, the empath entered a clearing. On the far side, a long crack snaked through the ground, as if the earth had been split apart. A few yards from that was a red spot on the dirt. Blood that had dried long ago.

"Raven…"

The half-demon felt the earth slightly tremble beneath her as someone spoke from behind. Turning around, she came face-to-face with a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"…Terra?"

Terra smirked. She was soaking wet, even though it wasn't raining, and mud caked some parts of her body. "Yes Raven, it's me. I bet you thought you would never see my face again." Her voice dripped with anger and hate, and the ground trembled more violently than before. "Actually, you probably _hoped_ that you would never see me again, otherwise you wouldn't have done this to me!"

Terra lifted up some of her shirt, revealing her side. Raven stared. Her skin and tissue was ripped to her ribs, and blood flowed slowly out of it like a red river.

"You killed me, Raven! You just revived me so you could kill me yourself!" The ground was quaking uncontrollably now. Raven fell to the ground as Terra's hands glowed yellow and she ripped a hunk of earth from underneath her feet.

"Terra, listen!" Raven pleaded, trying to back away from the angry geomancer, who was hovering in the air above her. "You've got to understand…"

"Shut up Raven!" She pointed to her side. "I understand _this_; I understand Beast Boy's broken heart, that's all I need to understand!"

Terra ripped up more rock and shaped it into a sharp point, and aimed it at Raven's chest.

"You killed me, Raven." The rock-dagger flew towards Raven at full-speed. "And now I'm returning the favor!"

Raven sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily and looked wildly around her room.

"It was just a dream," she gasped, feeling her heart thud uncontrollably in her chest. The empath took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and looked at her clock.

4:40 A.M.

Raven sighed. Putting on her cloak, she floated silently out of the room, trying to forget what Terra had said.

_You just revived me so you could kill me yourself…_

* * *

Ooh, freaky…anyways, I've been kinda busy, cause school started on Thursday and other stuff's been happening, but I'll try to update my fics at least once a week. Here is some stuff to expect in the next few weeks:

Updates for Never Meant To Be,

Updates for Out Of The Night,

Possibly more poems,

And, a complete revision of Earthshine. I was reading it one day and I really wasn't happy with it, so it's gonna be completely redone. Stuff will be taken out, stuff will be put in, and it's going to be edited to death! Yay!

Sayonara!


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates. School's been bugging the hell out of me, and I've got writer's block. Grr…**

**Chapter 8: Tremors**

"Please Raven?"

"No."

"…Pretty please?"

"No."

"……Pretty please with a zorka berry on the top?"

"Starfire, you're lucky I'm out here at all! I had to practically drown myself in sunscreen before I came out."

Raven lay on a beach-chair in a black one-piece next to a pool with a book in her hand, an umbrella shading most of her body. Starfire floated above her in a pink bikini. In the pool, Cyborg, Robin and Beast Boy were setting up an inflatable volleyball net.

"Why do you not wish to volley the ball with us?" asked the alien, hovering above Raven like a hummingbird.

"Because smacking a ball back and forth is not my idea of fun," Raven replied, becoming slightly irritated. _Remember the last time you played volleyball? _she thought, and considered saying this to Starfire, but held her tongue because it might spark another fight between her and Beast Boy.

"Well, what is _your _idea of fun?" asked Starfire.

"Does she even know the definition?" asked Beast Boy from the pool.

Raven gave him a death-glare. "My idea of fun is having no one to bug me," she muttered.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes. "Well, you really should…"

The changeling stopped talking and Raven looked up from her book, and stared at what she saw. Beast Boy's mouth was moving but no words were coming out. Raven looked at the other Titans. Robin started talking too, but like Beast Boy, he wasn't saying anything.

Raven suddenly realized that it wasn't that the Titans weren't saying anything, she couldn't hear anything! The empath's head swam as she looked wildly around. Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her shaking and she closed her eyes…

"Raven?"

The sound of Starfire's voice brought Raven back to the present. All the Titans were staring at her in bewilderment.

"Are you alright?" asked Starfire, looking at her friend with worry.

Raven got up from her chair. "I…I'm going to go inside," she replied. Then, she transformed into a shadowy, black bird and teleported into the house.

* * *

"Well, I doubt that Raven is enjoying this vacation much."

Raven's emotions huddled together in a small circle. Happy, the one with the pink cloak was the one who had spoken.

"No duh, you think?" replied Courage, rolling her eyes.

"Has she learned nothing from the time she kept her emotions locked up inside?" asked Love.

Courage raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because", explained Intelligence, "she's having hallucinations and weird dreams because she's keeping her guilt inside her. She's killed someone; that'll stay with her for the rest of her life. Even if it was for the right reasons."

Love sweat-dropped. "Okay, the guilt wasn't exactly what I was talking about, but hey," she shrugged, "whatever floats your boat!"

A deep, menacing voice spoke from the back of the group. "If that little traitor had destroyed the Titans in the first place, then-"

"Can it, Rage!"

"Yeah, who's side are you on, anyway?" asked Happy.

Courage snorted. "It's whoever's being the most evil."

"Guys, it's Raven who we should be worrying about," said Intelligence. "If she holds her emotions in forever, it won't come out good. This time it'll hurt just her instead of the other Titans."

* * *

Okay, not the best or longest chapter I've ever written. Not pointless, just not the best. Like I said, I've got writer's block. This fic will be easier to write as it goes along though, so hopefully I'll be updating more often. 


	9. Chapter 9

**I…am not…dead! Wow, I haven't updated in over two months! Incredibly sorry! School, sick, holidays, more sick, make-up work, laziness, more laziness…You guys have my permission to flame me, or come to my house and slap me for being so lazy! In return for not updating, I've given you two chapters instead of one. On with le fic!**

**(Oh, I don't own NASCAR….)**

**Chapter 9: Searching for Answers**

"…Robin?"

Starfire hesitantly poked her head inside Robin's open bedroom, hoping to find him there, for she had looked everywhere else.

"Robin?"

Empty.

The beautiful alien princess stood up straight, looked in the room one more time, then continued down the hall. Suddenly, she felt a presence from behind, and a hand closed on her shoulder.

"Hey, Starfire-"

The red haired girl jumped in panic and swung around in the air. Her eyes blazed with emerald fire and her hands were readied in defense mode.

"Whoa! Starfire, it's just me!" Robin said quickly, with his hands up.

Starfire gasped and lowered to the floor. "I apologize, Robin."

The Boy Wonder smiled. "It's okay," he said, then his smile faltered as he looked at her, her head hanging down. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

The princess raised her head. "Yes," she whispered, and then looked down both hallways to find them empty. "I am…worried…about Raven and Beast Boy…"

Robin nodded sadly. Raven and Beast Boy had been a problem lately, and he wasn't surprised that Starfire was being affected by their arguing.

Starfire went on. "They were fighting again this morning. I am afraid they might hurt each other…soon."

She paused for a moment and then asked, "Why do they fight so much? I know they do not hate each other, but what could one have done to arouse so much anger in the other?"

Robin did not have a definite answer to her questions, but he could come up with a few good guesses. Beast Boy took Terra's death hard, and took it out on Raven, who had never liked her in the first place. But Robin had to admit in the back of his mind that it was partially his fault for allowing the anger to come this far.

_I'll talk to them, _he thought. _Separately._

Robin came out of his thoughts and put a hand on Starfire's shoulder. "Don't worry Star, I'll talk to them. I'll try to figure out what's going on, okay?"

Starfire brightened a little at his words. "Thank you, Robin," she said sincerely, and turned and walked down the hall.

_

* * *

Later the same day…

* * *

_

Starfire floated upstairs into the living room, where Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven were seated. Cyborg and Beast Boy were watching NASCAR, while Raven was, or at least trying to, read while wondering what is so entertaining about cars running in a circle.

The alien went into the kitchen, into her room, and back out again. She looked out the windows, where the evening sun wasn't very far from setting. Finally, she floated to the stairs.

"I am going for a walk," she said to her teammates.

"Okay," Beast Boy and Cyborg replied unanimously, their eyes still glued to the screen. Raven said nothing.

The princess flew sadly down the stairs.

* * *

_Even later on the same day…_

* * *

The sun had just set when Robin climbed up the stairs and strode into the living room. Beast Boy and Cyborg were (still) watching NASCAR and Raven had just started reading a new book after finishing the other one.

The Boy Wonder looked around the room and asked, "Has anyone seen Starfire?"

"I guess she's not back from her walk," replied Beast Boy.

"Oh…" Robin paused for a moment. "Do you know when she left?"

Cyborg shifted in his seat on the couch. "Well, since she left right after the first race started, then she left at about 7 o'clock." Raven lowered her book and raised an eyebrow at him. "Why you ask?"

Robin didn't reply, but looked at the clock on the wall. 9 p.m. "She's been gone for a walk for _two hours_?"

The other Titans stopped and stared at each other, then back at Robin.

"Oh my God…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: "Even If I Knew"**

The summer heat coiled around Raven like a snake, constricting until her very last breath was squeezed out of her. The Titans, save one, were outside in night, with Robin barking orders. Raven listened, and felt irritation prick at her with every word.

"-Need to find her…"

_She left her communicator, she didn't tell us where she was going, and she's been gone for two hours. It doesn't sound like she wants to be found anytime soon, Robin._

"…needs help…"

_Starfire isn't just some lost little girl needing to be saved. She can take care of herself. _

Raven looked at Cyborg and sent a telepathic wave of thought to him.

_Cyborg!_

_Whoa, Raven? Girl, what are you doing inside my head! _Cyborg gave her a questioning look, but didn't say anything out loud.

_Don't worry, I'm not reading your thoughts or anything. Look, I know where Starfire is, and I think I need to talk to her alone. I know you can find her in an instant, but can you do me a favor and send Robin somewhere else while I talk to her?_

Cyborg hesitated before thinking, _Robin won't be happy._

Raven felt a flash of annoyance. _To be blunt, I don't care what Robin will do or think. I'll just tell him later that it was my idea, okay?_

_Well, I guess you won't take no for an answer?_

Raven narrowed her eyes.

The metal-man sighed inwardly. _Alright, fine._

Robin turned to Cyborg. "Can you find her?"

Cyborg pressed a few buttons on his right arm. With a quick glance at Raven, he said, "She's that way." He pointed to his left, away from the beach.

Robin looked in that direction for a second, then started running with Beast Boy and Cyborg close behind. Raven followed for a few strides, then quickly changed into a shadowy raven and flew towards the ocean.

* * *

Raven landed on soft sand, with the sound of crashing waves in her ears. Without even looking in the other direction, she started walking to her right, her senses telling her that that was where Starfire had gone.

The beach was entirely deserted, save for a few ghost crabs which scuttled away when Raven came near. As the empath walked, she wondered why Starfire would go off alone like this. It wasn't like her.

_Oh, you know why, _said a voice in her head.

Raven ignored the voice and pushed the image of Beast Boy out of her mind. She wasn't concerned with him right now. But, the thought kept nagging at her. _Starfire couldn't have done this because she and Beast Boy were fighting, could she?_

Raven was brought back to reality when she saw a lone figure sitting on the sand. She walked towards it and stood behind it for a few moments before sitting next to it on the sand. Together, they sat in a taciturn vigil for many minutes.

Finally, Starfire spoke. "I am…confused. Why do you and Beast Boy fight so much?" She turned her head to Raven.

Raven's face remained blank. "I don't know. We're just, so different, I guess…"

_You do know._

"You did not used to fight, at least not like this," Starfire recalled sadly.

_You know it's your fault._

The empath took a deep breath. "I guess we've all grown apart, in one way or another."

Starfire nodded. It was the sad truth that all of them knew, but didn't want to admit. Something was different between them, between all of them. But no one knew what it was, or how to stop it.

They didn't say anything else after that. In the dark night, the two friends listened to the waves breaking along the shore.

* * *

"Raven, I need to talk to you."

It was later that night, after Raven brought Starfire back. Raven was reading a book in the living room, with Robin leaning against the back of the couch she was on.

Raven looked at him and closed her book. "Okay, what?" she asked, but already knowing what he wanted to talk about.

"I think you already know why Starfire left tonight."

The empath nodded tensely.

Robin sighed. "I need to know what's going on between you and Beast Boy. The truth?"

"Robin, you don't really want to know, you just want to reassure Starfire and tell her that everything's alright."

The Boy Wonder was taken aback by the boldness in her words, even if it _was_ Raven.

Raven went on. "You treat her as if she's a little kid needing to be protected. She's not Robin! You-"

"At least I care enough about her to look out for her!" Robin interrupted hotly.

"You think I don't? She's my friend; I was just as worried as you were. I hate it that she did this because of me and Beast Boy."

"Then why won't you tell me what the problem is so I can help you?"

"Robin, even if I told you, even if _I_ knew what the problem was, it's too far along for you to stop it." With that, she got up, walked down the stairs and to her room, with Robin following close behind.

At her bedroom door, Robin said, "Fine, I'll talk to Beast Boy then."

Raven snorted in what seemed like amusement and disbelief.

Robin glared at her. "You think I won't?"

"You think I haven't?"

Before Robin could reply, she walked into her room and closed the door.

* * *

Whee, yay…finally a couple chapters that don't entirely center on the two idiots! _(coughBBandRaecough)._ Sorry if the grammar in these two chapters was kinda bad. The long break from school didn't help my writing skills much, or whatever writing skills there were in the first place! ;)

The next chapter will be up soon, and I mean it this time. There won't be a two month gap, I promise!


	11. Chapter 11

**Next chapter…whee…**

**Chapter 11: Even Heroes Need Saving**

The tiny screen went blank for a moment before a teen with long black hair appeared on it.

"This is the Titans East, who…Oh, hey Robin."

"Hi Aqualad," Robin replied, holding the hand-held communicator.

"How's the vacation?"

"Err...It's going good," Robin lied. How's the city?"

"Yeah, the city's fine, but there's something weird going on, and – hey!"

Aqualad was suddenly pushed out of the way by a tall teen with a bow hung across his back and a mask similar to Robin's.

"What'd you that for!" yelled Aqualad.

"Because you're not good at putting words together!" the teen scoffed, and then he looked at Robin. "Yep, the city is fine, man."

"Aqualad said there was something _weird _going on?"

"Uhh, yeah. A lot of people are getting sick with something. No one knows what it is or how it got in Jump City. No other places seem to have it. All the hospitals are full."

Robin cursed under his breath. "Is it serious?"

"…No one's died yet if that's what you mean."

"Speedy…"

Speedy laughed. "Relax, I'm just kidding. No, I think it's just something that makes you feel like crap for a while, like the flu or something like that. Or maybe pneumonia, or mono, or smallpox, or-"

"_Goodbye_, Speedy."

Click.

As soon as Robin's face disappeared from the screen, the tower flashed red. The five teens looked at each other, then ran out to the city.

* * *

The abandoned warehouse looked pretty much…well…_abandoned_ when the Titans East walked through its doors. After a few minutes of just standing there, they looked at each other and sweat-dropped.

"So…what are we here for?" asked Aqualad.

"Well, the computer said that the problem was in here, but the whole place is empty," replied Bee. "Alright, let's see if we can find anyone in here."

The group walked toward the center of the large building. Speedy strung his bow and glanced around suspiciously.

Suddenly, a dark figure leapt down from the ceiling and started toward them. A single arrow shot forward and pierced the thing in the stomach and shot out of its back. The team ran to it as it fell.

A large hole gaped at them from where the arrow had entered. Wires and plugs intertwined beneath the outer metal layer. Sparks flashed from ripped copper wires.

The team looked up at the ceiling. On the rafters crouched thousands of robots.

* * *

"_Help us! Help us!" they cried._

_She was running toward the five black figures that screamed for someone to help them. It seemed that with every step she took, they seemed farther away._

"_I can't…I…"_

Raven came out of her dazed state by a shake from Cyborg.

"Raven, are you okay?"

The empath ignored him and teleported to the top floor where Robin and Starfire were talking.

"Robin, the Titans East – "

The high-pitched ring of Robin's communicator interrupted her. As he pushed a button, the face of Aqualad appeared on the screen.

"_Titans, we need –elp!"_ The picture kept becoming fuzzy and the teen could barely be heard above the battle behind him.

"Aqualad, what's happening!"

"_Can't def--- them. –'re getting beat--! -elp! Send some—AHH!"_

A dark shadow fell across the screen as Aqualad screamed, and the communicator went black.

"Aqualad?" Robin asked frantically. The screen remained blank. He turned gravely to the rest of the Titans before him.

"We're going back."

* * *

Um, yeah. Sorry if this chapter wasn't very well written and kinda short. I just wanted it to be out of the way so the story could move along. There are only either one or two chapters before the end of Part One of this fic, and Part Two will be along soon (since I've wanted to write it for like, ever…).

Next chapter will be up soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Yay, last chapter of the first part! _(throws confetti)_. Thanks guys for the reviews, they make me happy! Anyhoo, in this chapter we are back in real time, a few days after the battle with Slade. No, you won't see the actual battle, sorry. You will only see bits and pieces of it from Raven's visions and dreams, of which there are more to come.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Detonation**

_The sliding door could barely open fast enough before the five teens rushed into the main room of Titans Tower. The place was empty as the Titans looked around its walls. An open comic book and a leftover slice of pizza sat on the counter, as if the ones who had been using them had just vanished into thin air._

"_Well, they're not in the tower," Cyborg said grimly, looking at his robotic arm._

_Robin pulled out his communicator and turned it on. "Speedy, Bumblebee! Anyone?" The handheld device remained blank._

_Suddenly, a large face appeared on the window TV screen. The person wore metal armor, and the right side of his face was blank and dark._

"_Back so soon?" he asked in a calm, unemotional tone._

_Robin clenched his fists and glared up at the screen. "Where are they, Slade?" he demanded. "What did you do to them?"_

_Slade waved his arm in an unconcerned motion. "They are taken care of. You know, they never were as good of fighters as _you_ are."_

'Liar,' _Robin thought, though he had an uneasy feeling in his heart._

_Raven walked up next to the Boy Wonder. "It's not surprising that he attacked now," she told him. "Titans East have never fought him, not to mention that the city is weak…"_

_Robin saw something flash in Slade's eye for a split second and he realized what the man had done. "You sick bastard," he growled._

_Slade ignored him. "Besides," he said, "you should be more worried about yourselves than your pathetic friends." With that, the window went dark._

_As soon as the villain's face vanished from the screen, the tower flashed red…_

The scene played over and over again like a broken record in Raven's mind. She remembered every word, every detail, every heart-wrenching second of that terrible day.

But, she refused to remember what happened after. She didn't want to relive what happened when they went to the outskirts of the city, never knowing what Slade had in mind.

Ignoring the pain in her leg, the empath got up from her bed and limped into the main room. Beast Boy and Starfire were nowhere to be seen, but Cyborg was busily typing on the computer while Robin paced furiously behind him. They didn't notice her come in.

"He has to be planning something," he muttered.

"Yeah? Well I can't think of anything that's worse than what he's already done," Cyborg replied.

"Slade's never done something like this before," Robin said. "Beast Boy and Raven nearly died because of him." He paused for a long moment before going on. "To tell you the truth, I'm surprised Beast Boy's still alive. Not many people get shot straight in the head and live to tell about it."

"If Raven hadn't been there, I think we'd all be dead."

The empathy backed slowly out of the room and into the hallway. Once she was safe, she leaned against the wall and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She was tired of everyone talking about her like this. She didn't know how she managed to heal everyone that night; she didn't know how she saved Beast Boy's life. It just happened.

_It just happened!_

Raven was knocked out of her thoughts when her communicator beeped. As she turned it on, she heard Robin's voice.

"_Titans, get in the main room now!"_

The empath flew into the room where Cyborg and Robin were looking at the screen. Starfire and Beast Boy joined them a few seconds later. Slade's face stared at them from the window.

"Hello again, Titans."

Unconsciously, Raven felt her heart beat faster and she backed up a couple steps. She took a couple deep breaths and forced herself to look up at the screen.

_Don't be afraid. He can't do anything to you. Don't be afraid…_

In her thoughts, she didn't realize that Slade was still talking, and she caught the last few words.

"…are five bombs place at different locations in the city." The screen showed five quick shots of the bombs before going back to Slade's face again. "You have ten minutes to find them all." The screen went blank once more.

* * *

After sending the rest of the team in different directions, Robin jumped on his motorcycle and rode at break-neck speed toward the center of town. In a few minutes, he arrived at Jump City Medical. 

A few yards from the hospital's doors was a small red flashing. The Boy Wonder walked toward it slowly and studied it.

The bomb was a dark grey and was about the size of a dinner plate. From a distance, and person would have mistaken it for a small car tire, if not for the red light and rectangular clock in the middle.

2:28…2:27…

A few moments later, Robin's communicator beeped and Cyborg's face appeared.

"Robin, there's no way to turn these things off!"

"What? There has to be!" Robin yelled at the screen.

"I've tried everything."

The screen split and Raven appeared. "Robin, I can't turn the bomb off with my powers. What should we do?"

Starfire and Beast Boy came up on the screen too, with the same statement and question.

14…13…

Robin was paralyzed for a split second, clutching the communicator tightly in his hand.

"…Robin?"

The Boy Wonder shook himself angrily. _"Everyone out of there NOW!"_

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

* * *

_(tries to be heard over the loud "WTF?'s" of confused readers)_

Err…all will be explained…in the next chapter…


	13. Chapter 13

I am really not consistent with the times I update…

Okay, first chapter of the second part. Thanks for the reviews! Alright, this chapter takes place a year and a half after what happened in the last chapter. I_ know_ that the time gaps in this fic are crazy, but you'll find out what happened, don't worry.

**Chapter 13: Running**

"…And now over to Susan Parker for more information."

The screen switched to a young woman with short brown hair who was holding a microphone. She seemed to be standing in front of a construction site where broken planks of wood and stone littered the ground. A colored bar at the bottom of the screen read, **Live: Jump City**.

"Thanks Ben," the woman said. "Just eighteen months ago, hundreds of people lost their lives in what many now believe to have been a terrorist attack."

_Damn, it's been eighteen months already? Over a year gone by and I still can't escape it…_

"Teams are still looking for the bodies of people buried under several feet of rubble. Only a few buildings are still standing since the attack while the rest of the city is completely destroyed."

The camera panned out to reveal that the woman was telling the truth. Miles of ash, dirt, and rubble covered the ground. Some buildings still stood, but only a couple of those few were almost unharmed. One of those was a strange building in the center of a small island which was the shape of a 'T'.

"But, they still haven't found the bodies of five young heroes, the Teen Titans. By now, they are presumed to be dead, but what about the Titans East of Steel City?"

_Well, terrorists didn't kill us or kidnap us, I can tell you that. _

"An interview with the mayor of Steel City told us that the Titans East had gone to Jump City to help the Titans with some kind of mission. Whether both teams are dead or just missing is still unknown."

"Hello? Rae? Earth to Rae! Rachel, are you in there?"

A tall, dark haired teen waved his hand in front of the girl's face, who was still looking up at the TV screen mounted on the wall.

The girl looked at him irritably. "What?

The teen jerked his head toward the counter behind him. "We've already closed," he said.

Pushing a strand of purple hair behind her ear, the young woman brushed past him and walked through the shelves of books until she reached the store's front entrance. Outside, she set off at a brisk walk down the street.

_Maybe if I walk fast enough he won't bother trying to talk to me…_

"Hey Rachel, wait up!"

_Too late…_

"Where's the fire?" the boy joked as he pulled up alongside her.

"Go away."

He ignored her. "So, you were watching what happened at Jump City, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"It's really sad isn't it? I can't believe someone could to that to all those people-"

"Don't you have something else to do besides annoy me, Jesse?"

Jesse shoved his hands into the pockets of his oversized black jeans. "That's my job, to annoy you."

"Well, you're doing a hell of a job," Rachel muttered as she walked faster.

Jesse caught up with her again. "Look, you don't need to get all ticked off just because I'm trying to make a conversation."

Rachel glared at him, irritation burning in her eyes. "What must I do to make you stop bugging me?"

"Well, you could…hey!"

Rachel had run past him and around a street corner. When Jesse rounded it, the young woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Where the heck did she go?"

* * *

The black, shadowy raven phased through the window and into the small apartment, where it materialized into the young woman. Crossing the room, she rubbed her temples in frustration and sat down on the floor, where she began to chant.

"Azerath Mentrion Zinthos…Azerath Mentrion Zinthos…"

* * *

"I think I'm going to kill someone if that guy keeps calling us 'Rachel'."

"If you're going to kill anyone, kill Rage. We have no use for her."

"I _heard _that!"

"What're you going to do? Possess my body or eat my soul?"

_SLAP!_

"OW! Jeeze, mother--!"

"Guys…Guys?...GUYS!"

A small group of cloaked figures stood on a large floating rock. They were all identical, except for the fact that all of their cloaks were different colors. Three of them stood alone from the others. The one clad in yellow and wearing glasses was trying to prevent the ones in green and red from tearing each other's throats out.

After a few exhausting moments, she finally succeeded in pushing the two away from each other. "You guys aren't solving anything by trying to kill each other! What is with you two anyway?"

Rage's four red eyes glinted dangerously before she stalked silently away from them.

Courage rolled her eyes. "She's just ticked 'cause she can't take over Raven's mind anymore!"

A pink-cloaked emotion walked up to them, grinning from ear to ear. "At least that's one good thing that this guilt-trip is doing, right?"

"It might not be permanent though," said Wisdom, adjusting her glasses. "When she tells someone about it her guilt might vanish and her powers will be back."

Courage snorted. "Who's she got to tell? The Titans are gone, and unless they miraculously appear, the guilt will stay."

* * *

Umm….yeah….I'll answer your questions one at a time…

Jump City? – Jump City is dead…gone…literally blown off the face of the planet. Pretty much all that's left standing is Titans Tower. (Yes, I have the mind of a freakin' terrorist…)

Teen Titans? – The Titans are no longer together. After the destruction of Jump City they broke off and went their separate ways under new identities. Why? I guess because they're simply too guilty to face what happened.

Titans East? – Who knows? They aren't important, but if Slade can destroy an entire city, what do you think he'll do with a bunch of Teen Titan wannabe's?

Rachel? – Rachel is Raven (wow, that was hard to figure out). After the Titans broke up, she left to a new city under a new name (I'm getting "Things Change" déjà vu here…). She's trying to forget what happened and move on (even more déjà vu!). Oh yeah, and she works in a bookstore, but is thinking of trying to get an actual career. Funny eh?

Jesse? – Jesse is this guy who works in the bookstore with Raven and annoys the heck out of her. Why? I guess so she won't miss the Titans as much. Don't worry, he has an actual purpose, but I can't give everything away. ; )

Emotions? – Remember how Raven's powers went berserk in "Fear Itself" because she was holding her fear inside? It's happening again, except now with guilt of what happened with Terra (and the Jump City thing doesn't help either.). Because she hasn't told anyone, her powers are slowly depleting. She can't heal anymore, and her emotions are no longer a danger to her. She can feel without hurting anyone (but that doesn't mean she'll display her emotions freely. She doesn't seem like the person to do that.). She can still use most of her powers, like her psychic and flying abilities, but those might wear off too….

Wow, that was probably the longest explanation I've ever typed. I'm sorry if you don't like where this is going, but it was all planned from the beginning, and it's not changing. Please don't flame me or kill me, things will get better! (Don't take my word on that.)

I own Jesse and those news reporter people. So don't take them. Yeah…

(Sorry if your or someone you know's name is Susan Parker or Ben. I just chose random names.)


	14. NOTE!

I'm sorry to tell you this, but…

I won't be updating for the rest of summer, and possibly even after that. The reason for this is because I have a few summer projects for high school, and I don't have time to do that _and _update my fanfiction. So, don't expect any updates until the end of summer or later. Luckily, the next chapter is about half done, so once I'm done with my projects I'll be able to finish it quickly and have it up as soon I can.

Once again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates…and for this really boring note. Have a good rest-of-the-summer.

- Moonshine.


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